Origins of Civilization: Begins in Mesopotamia Unit 2

TAKS Objectives: As students, you will… Demonstrate an understanding of geographic influences on historical issues and events Objective 3 Demonstrate an understanding of economic (relating to) and social influence on historical issues and events Objective 5 Use critical thinking skills to analyze social studies information

Mesopotamia Once located in present day Southern Iraq Between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers Also known as the land “Between the Rivers” Little rain in the region but its soil is enriched by silt (material deposited by the two rivers when overflowed, ex: mud, clay, or small rocks) Covers 3 areas: Assyria, Akkad, & Sumer

Fertile Crescent Located from the Mediterranean Sea to Persian Gulf Rich soil and abundant crops

People in Mesopotamia Developed a system of drainage ditches & irrigation What do you think happen due to this system? Answer: large food supply provided significant population growth and the Emergence of a Civilization Sumerians developed the first Mesopotamian Civilization

Sumerians By 3,000 B.C., a number of city-states established around Ur & Uruk A city with political & economic control over surrounding countryside's. Sumerian buildings were built from mud bricks Sumerian’s invented the arch, dome, and large brick buildings in the world

Sumerians continued Each city had it’s own temple Often built on top of a huge stepped tower called a ziggurat Believed in gods and goddesses who owned & ruled cities Government based on theocracy A government ruled by divine authority (being or having the nature of god, the bible) Eventually, ruling power was passed on to kings

Sumerian Economy & Society Economy mostly based on agriculture but also industry and trade Society had 3 classes: 1) Noble= royal family, officials, priests 2) Commoners= (90% of society), worked for large estate farmers, merchants, fishers, and craftsmen 3) Slaves= built buildings, wove cloth & worked on farms

Empires in Mesopotamia Akkadians lived north of Sumerian city-states Also called Semitic people because they spoke a Semitic language Around 2,340 B.C., Sargon, leader of Akkadians, conquered the Sumerian city- states & established the world’s first empire A large political unit that controls many peoples and territories

Hammurabi In 1792 B.C., Hammurabi of Babylon, a city-state south of Akkad, created a new empire over much of Akkad and Sumer Hammurabi was known for his law code called “Code of Hammurabi” Harsh punishments against different social classes Code demanded punishment fit for the crime Code of Hammurabi expressed patriarchal (society dominated by men) nature of Mesopotamian society

Mesopotamian Religion Believed world was controlled by destructive supernatural forces & gods Were considered to be polytheistic, believing in gods & goddesses Identified 3,000 of them Human beings were to serve & obey the gods and goddesses

System of Writing & Technologies Sumerians created a system of writing called cuneiform, “wedge shaped”, used to describe strokes of the stylus. Writing used for keeping records, teaching, and law New technologies were the invention of the wagon wheel, numbering system based on 60 and advances in applying geometry to engineering

Epic of Gilgamesh Most important piece of Mesopotamian literature (epic poem) Teaches that only the gods are immortal Gilgamesh was a king who was wise & strong, part human & part god His companion was a hairy beast named Enkidu When Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh feels his pain of death & searches for the secret of immortality His search fails & he returns to Uruk where he becomes a good king & ends his life happily An epic poem is a narration of achievements, labors, and sometimes the failures of heroes that embodies a people’s or nations conception of its own past